One of the pilots of an Amazon cargo plane repeatedly warned that the aircraft was travelling too fast before it crashed at Miami International Airport, killing five people.
The warnings were issued for nearly two minutes during the approach and after touchdown, according to cockpit information released by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
A summary of the cockpit voice recording said the other pilot never gave a “consistent verbal response” to the warnings.
The aircraft touched down awkwardly, briefly attempted to take off again and then crashed into a van carrying workers at an aircraft cleaning company.
All five people killed were inside the van. Five others were injured, including two who remained in critical condition on Tuesday. The two pilots survived and were interviewed by investigators.
Flight data showed the aircraft was unstable during its approach amid strong winds. The pilots briefly disengaged the brakes and increased engine power, apparently attempting to take off again.
However, they abandoned the manoeuvre four seconds later.
Former Federal Aviation Administration official Mike O’Donnell said the crew had several options to slow the aircraft or abort the landing after the speed warnings.
The plane reportedly touched down well beyond the normal landing zone, leaving less runway available for stopping.
Investigators are examining whether strong winds, including a possible tailwind, contributed to the crash.
The aircraft travelled about 396 metres beyond the runway before striking the van and later an SUV.
The NTSB says the full cockpit transcript will be released later in the investigation.
